FRESHER'S GUIDE - A MANUAL FOR NEW MED STUDENTS - Wollongong University Medical Students' Society
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FRESHER’S GUIDE
A MANUAL FOR NEW MED
STUDENTS
A WELCOME FROM THE WOLLONGONG UNIVERSITY MEDICAL
STUDENTS SOCIETY PRESIDENT
Hi all! On behalf of the Wollongong University Medical Student Society (WUMSS) I welcome
you to Wollongong University Graduate Medicine! Big congratulations for being accepted into
such a competitive school! The school has a mantra of graduating academically and clinically
exception interns that are excellent researchers – how can we go wrong?!
Our intimate cohort size allows for a collaborative environment that paired with the beautiful
natural backdrop of the area creates only one result – great doctors! The four years of medical
school will allow for all the well-known clichés about personal and professional growth to
(predictably) occur in bulk but here at Graduate Medicine we aim for much more. We want
to all students to remain as well rounded coming out of the degree as they are going in. This
is where WUMSS is at its strength. Medical school is hard and having outlets in the arts,
networking events as well as access to mentors within university and the medical community
is very important. Support in pursuing passions outside of university is also key for mental and
physical wellbeing and WUMSS tries our utmost to support this in any way we can.
Be prepared to work hard and continue to support each other as medicine is always a team
effort after all. My advice would be to get involved in any and every way you can as you’ll be
surprised how much “luck” comes from perseverance. I am looking forward to getting to know
you over the next few years and if you are not already, get excited. Most importantly
#getaroundthegong Good luck with the years ahead! Enjoy the new experiences and the
WUMSS team will be here to help guide and support you every step of the way.
Mitch Murray – WUMSS PRESIDENT
CONTENTS
- WUMSS Welcome
- About Medicine @UOW
o Course Format
o Textbooks
o Learning and Teaching
o Tips from those who’ve done it before
- Before you get here
o Vaccinations
o Living Guides
▪ Wollongong
▪ Shoalhaven
o Information for International Students
- Info for everyone
o The first few weeks
o Merchandise
o Who are WUMSS?
o Fun Stuff
▪ Clubs
▪ Sports
▪ Even More Social Events
WELCOME TO GRADUATE MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WOLLONGONG
Congratulations, you are now a UOW Medical Student! We may be biased but that puts you
in the group of the best medical students.
The Wollongong University Medical Student Society (WUMSS) have put together this handy
guide to assist your transition into the world of UOW Graduate Medicine. You will get to know
us well. Our goal is to represent your interests, support your academic endeavours, enhance
your social life and help you maintain that medicine-life balance.
The purpose of this guide is to answer the usual FAQs about the course, life in Wollongong
and Shoalhaven and give you an idea as to the goings on in your first few weeks to months.
This guide is an informal introduction to Medicine at UOW with suggestions from your
predecessors and things we have learned from our own predecessors.
If, after reading the guide, you still have questions that we haven’t answered the GM staff are
there to help. The WUMSS website http://wumss.org.au/ and FB Page
https://www.facebook.com/wumss/ are one-stop shops.
Some quick info about this guide:
1. It has been written and revised by UOW medical students.
2. It is organised into sections and there are sections with information specific to your
campus allocation.
3. We have taken the liberty of emphasising certain key points in BOLD.
4. There is a list of WUMSS members and WUMSS email addresses that should be your
point of contact for any further questions.
Welcome to Wollongong! The 2017/2018 WUMSS Committee
ABOUT MEDICINE @ UOW
COURSE FORMAT Medicine at UOW is divided into Four ‘Phases’. Each phase is discussed in far more detail in the phase specific handbooks. You will receive your Phase 1 Handbook during your first week at UOW. PHASE 1 (18 MONTHS) This is the ‘pre-clinical’ phase and comprises of sessions 1,2 and 3. In phase one the majority of the work is taught through lectures (streamed from one campus to the other) and online modules called GOALS. You will also have two hours of Anatomy Lab at the Wollongong Campus per week, two hours of clinical skills and two 3-4 hour placements in the community or a GP practice each fortnight. Phase 1 is divided into ‘blocks’, each focussing on specific body systems. These include: Intro to Medicine, Cardiorespiratory in the first semester. Session 2 covers Gastrointestinal-Liver and Urogenital-Renal-Genetics-Endocrine (URGE – it’s a big one and will keep getting mentioned throughout the year). Session 3 consists of Nervous System, Musculoskeletal and Haematology-Immune. Each block is organised into fortnights, which are focussed around the Case-Based-Learning (CBL) patient case for that fortnight and the concepts explored in this case. Phase 1 assessments are in the form of Clinical Competencies (8 minutes to complete a task and demonstrate a practical skill), Professional and Personal Development (PPD) Reflections, Research and Critical Analysis Essays and the End of Year Exam (November 2018), the Phase 1 OSCE (middle of session 3 2019) and the End of Phase Exam (May 2019). PHASE 2 (12 MONTHS) Seven, 5 week placements (2x Surgery, 2x Medicine, 1x Mental Health, 1x Paediatrics, 1x OBGYN) comprises sessions 1 and 2. PHASE 3 (12 MONTHS) A longitudinal (40 week) clinical placement at any of the rural/regional hubs, comprises sessions 1 and 2. PHASE 4 (6 MONTHS) Three rotations encompassing an elective, selective and pre-internship (PRINT) terms.
TEXTBOOKS There are more than a dozen ‘recommended textbooks’ for Phase 1 outlined in the Phase 1 handbook. We strongly suggest that you don’t go out and purchase all the textbooks before beginning classes. Textbooks are not cheap, and the handbook recommends a number of options for each discipline and you only really need one of each. The Learning Centres at both campuses as well as both libraries have multiple copies of the most important textbooks and many more resources. This will give you time to ‘Try before you buy’ and find the right textbooks for you. Many people choose to study at the GM so they use the resources there, others who study at home borrow many books from the libraries. Hit up some second-year students and ask which textbooks they found useful and the ones that they didn’t like. Some books you will use for only one CBL fortnight and others that you may wish to buy you may use consistently throughout the phase. Also be on the lookout for freebees and bargains, many students in older years sell textbooks throughout the year as they progress through the phases or graduate. There may also be some electronic resources available so always keep a USB or external hard-drive close at hand. When you’ve found the textbooks that work for you and you decide it’s the time to purchase, shop around. The UniShop bookstore is an obvious first stop but their prices aren’t very competitive. There are some online book retailers such as Amazon, Booktopia, Fishpond etc that may have new or second-hand copies of the books you want at a fraction of the UniShop’s asking price.
LEARNING AND TEACHING The GM uses two hosts main methods to communicate with you. The first being SOLS-Mail and the second via ‘Moodle’, which is not a small designer hybrid dog, but an ‘Online Learning Environment’. Moodle is home to your year planner, block timetables, lecture slides, lecture recordings (via Echo 360) as well as all your GOALS, online quizzes, a message forum and a whole host of other resources. Twice a week in your time table you will see a GOAL (Guided Online Accessible Learning) scheduled. These cover materials that are not usually covered in lectures and are purely online course components. These need to be completed in your own time, although there are blocks set aside in your weekly timetable. Falling behind in GOALS is easy to do! Stay on top of them as they add up and include content that is assessable in your end of year and end of phase written exams. The GM staff will be introduced to you during your first week, though we understand that with all the distractions of making new friends, welcome BBQs and taking everything in that you may forget their names and faces. Luckily there is a section in the Phase 1 handbook that has names and contact information. If you’re not sure who to contact about a specific issue, post on the Moodle forum and someone will answer your questions either a staff member or another student. Another option is to ask the friendly staff at the GM front desks who should be able to direct you to the right person.
TIPS FROM THOSE WHO HAVE DONE IT BEFORE
It hopefully won’t be a surprise that Medicine is not a degree where you can ‘cruise and cram’.
You’ll hear the term ‘drinking through a firehose’. Don’t underestimate the commitment to
work, but remember that we’re all in this together. To enjoy your time here and support
your peers there are some key things to keep in mind:
1. Keep on top of the work – it won’t go away if you ignore it.
2. Study with friends – the course collaborative and designed this way intentionally.
3. Find a study system that works for you (this may take longer for some than others) –
what works for some, wont work for others.
4. Medicine @ UOW is collaborative and cooperative, not competitive.
The course is pass/fail and there are no specific numbers of students that need to end up
under a ‘fail-line’. The staff would be pleased if everyone passed. As mentioned above
working in groups is encouraged and it has been show that those who work cooperativbely
do better than those who plow through the work solo. Both campuses have plenty of tutorial
and group study rooms in the learning centre. Grab your mates, bring some whiteboard
markers and teach each other the material. Utilise each others strengths and weaknesses.
A common source of stress for medical students is the nitty gritty and not knowing the level
of detail you need to cover. Is this too much? Is it too little? And how on earth did I get down
this rabbit hole? There is an immense amount of detail in the coursework and deciding how
much of that detail you need to know can be a tough decision. The GM staff won’t give you
exact cut-offs for what you do and don’t need to know to pass those exams. Be aware that
everything that is taught is considered assessable and will be based around the themes of
your CBLs. While some detail is required to pass the exam remember that the exam is made
up of 430 marks that come from about one thousand hours of coursework and lectures.
Ensure that you have a grasp of the big-picture concepts.
Once you’ve been in the course for a while, you’ll begin to see you overlap of concepts and
you will revisit things you will have seen before. This is the ‘spiral learning’ concept that the
GM will keep telling you about.
Each week a Formative (practice) quiz will be posted on Moodle that lets you test your
knowledge without contributing to your overall grade. These quizzes aren’t inclusive of
everything taught and are rumoured to be ‘rejected’ exam questions. The quizzes are a good
indicator of whether you’re on-top of the previous weeks content. Moodle is also home to
the Formative End of Block exams. The GM doesn’t assess the content of each block until the
end of year summative integrated exam, but they have formative block specific exams that
you can attempt in your own time. Students also write exam questions for each other for
more practice opportunities.
Written assessment tasks will often have both formative and summative versions of the task.
The formative versions are not usually compulsory but give you the opportunity to receive
written feedback on the task before the summative task is due. Whilst they are not
compulsory, they are beneficial especially if you are not confident with the summative task.
The summative assignments are compulsory and must be passed.
You need to have faith in yourself that if you attend the lectures, revise the notes in a timely fashion and do the prescribed readings that you will do well in the exams. Bounce ideas and knowledge off your peers to assess where you stand. Use whatever study style works for you but be aware that you cannot cram Medicine, there is just for too much information. As a graduate entry course you will hear a lot from the GM about ‘adult learning’. To put it bluntly this means that the course is not spoon-fed and it is your responsibility to take an active role in your learning and do the required tasks. There is a lot of work to get through and people will find schedule their own programs and will find their own ways to keep chipping away at the content and assessment tasks. No one will be checking up on you to make sure you are doing the readings or if you’re up to date on your GOALS or if you’ve started or submitted that assignment. That’s all on you. Of course if you think a classmate is struggling or you haven’t seen them around on campus, be a mate and check in on them to make sure they are ok and see how they are going. Remember, in medical school you are learning the knowledge and skills for the practice of medicine, not just to pass the exam. Data dumping at the end of the year is not a good idea. If the last page and a bit was a bit hard to grasp here are some highlights: - Group work = good… collaborate to graduate - You have a plethora of resources available to you… use them - Don’t get caught up in the nitty gritty at some point you have to draw the line - Embrace the ‘Spiral Curriculum’ - Cramming is not allowed, stay on top of things - Have faith in yourself, you have achieved a lot to be here - Calm students learn more
BEFORE YOU GET HERE
VACCINATIONS
There is often much confusion and frustration over vaccination cards so please take special
notice of this sections. The following points SHOULD help you clear the vaccination checks
without issue.
1. Do not blame the GM staff, the vaccination check is a requirement of the NSW
department of health for anyone working or on placement in a NSW hospital. The GM
staff work very hard every year to make the process as smooth as possible. The GM
staff will help you where they are and are a good resource if you have questions or
issues, but at the end of the day they are not the ones who sign off on vaccinations.
2. Get your ENTIRE vaccination card (its really an A4 form) completed by your GP before
registration day. (International students we recommend you get this done in your
home country as it may cost you hundreds of dollars to get everything done here).
3. Have your GP sign AND rubber stamp each vaccination and serology on the form.
There are stories from previous cohorts where students had signatures but no stamps
and vice versa and had to go back and get the forms done again. To be safe make sure
you get both.
4. If you’re up to date with all your vaccinations already you still need the form
completed by the GP. You shouldn’t need additional vaccinations if you already have
them with proof of immunity from the serology. Ask the GP to complete the form,
with stamps, backdating their signatures.
5. Bring all the documentation that you can. Copies of serology are GOLD STANDARD!
Sometimes the nurses from NSW health will sign off on certain things if you can show
them proper lab reports. If you have a ‘WHO yellow vaccination book’ bring it (or a
copy) along too. There is no such thing as too much documentation.
6. The TB skin test is often another source of frustration. The instructions say to wait for
the interview with the nurses with regards to the Mantoux TB skin test but if you have
travelled to any developing countries then it is almost certain that you’ll be sent for
the test and it can be tricky to get an appointment and get it done once uni starts. If
you think you will need it – make an appointment with the Wollongong chest clinic
and have it done and checked before registration day and bring the documentation
along with you.
7. The Flu Vaccine is optional but is highly recommended. The Wollongong and
Shoalhaven hospitals have in the past given free flu vaccinations to medical students.
You will be spending some time in hospitals and GP practices that puts you at
increased risk of influenza.LIVING GUIDES There are two separate sections specific to living in Wollongong or the Shoalhaven. These sections have been added to and amended over many years to include suburb guides as well as information about transportation, mobile phones and entertainment and leisure and anything else we think might help you get settled in.
EVERYTHING WOLLONGONG
HOUSING
Wollongong has a strong industrial history of Coal Mining and Steel Works and Fabrications
which in recent years has seen some decline. It is the gateway to the South Coast and hosts
some of the best beaches in NSW as well as access to infrastructure and services for the South
Coast population. Since Wollongong is a university town, finding accommodation can be a
challenge, particularly at the start of the year when things are very competitive. Be prepared
to view 8-10 places before finding something that is acceptable, affordable and that you
manage to secure. Make sure you make you’re intentions and need clear to Real Estate Agents
so that they don’t waste your time. Rent obviously varies by quality, location and how many
other students/housemates you share with. $125-225 per week should get you somewhere
decent and close by. If you’re going out on your own then be prepared to pay up to $400-500
per week. Most of the house and apartment rentals in the area are conducted through real
estate agents however, private listings can also be found on the UOW accommodations
website or via gumtree or other housemate finder websites. UOW has an online property
listing service called Study Stays. This website makes it easy for students to search local
properties and links to Google Maps. Each listing has information about the locations,
proximity to UOW, rent, bond, amenities and other details. http://uow.studystays.com.
CAMPUS HOUSING
Most medical students don’t live in campus housing because it’s expensive and full of
undergrads. This arrangement can be detrimental to study as the undergrads are on a
different semester and exam schedule. In the past medical students who have lived in campus
housing have wished that they hadn’t, but it can depend on which campus housing you
choose. A good exception is the Marketview accommodation on the corner of Market and
Crown Streets which has self-serviced, fully furnished accommodation in the Wollongong
CBD. Medical students have happily lived here in the past and for $285 including utilities it
can be a good short-term option. Other options for campus accommodation include
Kooloobong and Gundi Residences and Graduate House (the only campus housing that
accepts couples/families) though wait lists can be long. For more information on campus
housing visit. https://www.uow.edu.au/accommodation/liveoncampus/index.htmlPRIVATE ACCOMODATION Off-campus housing is competitive in mid-January/February so get it organised as early as you can. Here are some overviews of some of the suburbs where students have lived before to help you decide. You can also get great information on websites or aps like Domain which have suburb profiles and also can calculate travel distance to places like the university and hospital. KEIRAVILLE- Immediately south of the university. It is a fairly residential area and doesn’t have many shops. You can walk to the university quite easily. The walk to the train station, mall, supermarket and beach is about 40 mins. There are buses (sorry but looks like the CBD ones may no longer be free). GWYNNEVILLE – This area is much like Keiraville, close to the university and train station but is quite residential with more houses than apartments and very few shops. It is about a 30 min walk from Gwynneville to the CBD and beach. NORTH WOLLONGONG – Generally a more expensive part of town, though if you start looking early you may be surprised at what you may find. This suburb is full of apartment buildings and some newer houses and is a great area if you don’t mind paying a little bit more. It’s a bit hilly so you’re likely to get some incidental cardio. It’s a short walk to the mall, supermarkets and the beach but its further away from the university. Again, there buses that service this area though they are unlikely to be free as of 2018. WOLLONGONG – Wollongong has many apartment buildings and the shops and beach are quite close by. Depending on the location uni will be further away. TOWRADGI- To the north of Wollongong and close by a couple of surf beaches. You will probably need a car or a bike to get to uni. Its usually a bit cheaper than North Wollongong, but has more houses than apartments available. FAIRY MEADOW - Is quite affordable and is close to a grocery store and is a comfortable distance to ride a bike to uni. It is on a bus route, but doesn’t have as many apartments or houses as some other suburbs. WEST WOLLONGONG – Some areas west of The Wollongong Hospital are quite nice, others can be a bit dodgy. Generally speaking, the closer you are to the hospital you are the better the houses are. This location is on a bus route and in the long-term sets students up well come Phase 2 when they will be spending a lot of time at the Hospital. OTHER SUBURBS – There are some suburbs not mentioned. That is not to say that they are bad places to live but rather that they are a little bit further away or can be awkward for getting to the uni. An example is Mt Ousley that is quite close to the uni but is blocked by the highway with no pedestrian overpass. Other suburbs that are quite nice are Mt Pleasant, Coniston, Figtree and Mt Kembla are not on the bus route and will mean you will require a car. Be aware there are some suburbs such as Mangerton that appear to be conveniently located and cheap but have “issues” and are probably best avoided. If in doubt do a Google news search and/or look up the suburb profiles on the Domain app.
UTILITIES
Depending on your accommodation; water, electricity, gas etc may be included in your rent.
Origin, Integral, Energy Australia, True Energy and Red are the major electricity and gas
companies in the Illawarra. But if you shop around you may find better deals with some of
the smaller providers. Phone and Internet will probably be your major concerns when you
first arrive. There’s usually fairly good coverage in Wollongong if you’re with the major phone
companies though there are some ‘black holes’. You’re pretty safe with Telstra, Optus or
Virgin.
INTERNET
You will have to do a little bit of research when setting up your internet. Some suburbs have
NBN, some streets in suburbs have NBN and some streets are transitioning to NBN very soon.
You will need to find out what services are available at your accommodation. You may end up
connection to the NBN or you may be better serviced with ADSL, ADSL2 or using a wireless
hotspot from your phone or a wireless internet device. All services have their strengths and
weaknesses. Maybe ask your neighbours what internet service they are using and whether
they would recommend it. Some homes will have the appropriate lines for you to connect to
the internet and others will require you to have a phone line connected. There are a lot of
companies offering internet services and it can be overwhelming. A good place to start is
http://broadbandguide.com.au/. An internet connection is vital to you having access to
Moodle and course materials so setting up your internet connection is something that you
should prioritise when you arrive. That said if you prefer to study on campus then you will
have access to the university free WIFI.
FAMILY SERVICES
The Wollongong campus offers childcare services. Studying medicine at UOW doesn’t involve
many late nights on campus so it can be organised to be family-friendly. There are also many
people who organise external day-care for their children. There are a handful of students with
kids in the cohorts above yours, they are a good source of information. For details on
university day care visit: http://unicentre.uow.edu.au/kidsuni/.
TRANSPORT
WALKING
Depending on where you live, you can often walk to most places within 30-40 minutes. There
are lots of coastal and mountain walks in the area for weekend exploring.
CYCLING
Wollongong is a fairly bike-friendly city. If you live in one of the closer suburbs it can be a great
way to get to Uni. If you’re in need of a bike the Wollongong Bike Hub
(http://wollongong.bikehub.com.au) is a good place to start. There may also be some bikes
for sale on the UOW Buy, Swap and Sell pages on FacebookBUS SERVICE There are currently FREE shuttle buses running in Wollongong every 10-30 minutes depending on the bus route, semester schedule and time of day/week. It looked as though the government was axing the free shuttle service with commuters expected to have to pay for buses from January 2018, however it looks as though the free buses might live to see the end of 2018. More information can be found about buses in Wollongong on the following websites: http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/city/parkingtransport/Pages/publictransport.aspx#gref http://www.premierillawarra.com.au/ http://www.dions.com.au/html TRAINS Trains are useful if you’re commuting from anywhere outside of bus range. There are a number of stations in the Wollongong area and Fairy Meadow, North Wollongong and Wollongong connect with the shuttle buses. The trains are also a great way to travel up to the Sydney CBD and Sydney Airport. Wollongong to Sydney Central on the South Coast Line usually takes about 1 hour 40 minutes depending on the number of stops the train makes. The South Coast train schedule can be found at http://sydneytrains.info or www.131500.com CARS If you arrive in Wollongong without a car and decide that you want one, there are a number of second-hand dealerships near the North Wollongong train station. There are also a number of dealerships in Albion Park. Another good place to look is at www.carsales.com. Just remember if you plan on driving to the uni, parking is expensive (minimum $9 for a whole day) unless you carpool. PARKING The university has a great ‘3-For-Free’ carpool parking program at the Western Car Park which is quite close to the GM building. Cars with 3 or more people in them can park for free. If you are short on passengers you can find some friends to hop in with you. Sometimes people send a message to see if anyone is around the GM building, just note if you get caught your car may be blacklisted from the carpool program for the semester. If you can’t carpool, then parking your car at the university can be expensive, frustrating or both. There are a limited number of free parking spots on the streets that surround the campus however, your chances of nabbing one of those after 8am are slim. The Northern and Western Carparks also fill up quite quickly and are ticketed spots that cost $9 for the whole day. If these are full then there is the option of the Multistory carpark near the uni-centre which is $15 for a full day. Parking illegally such as in the carpark right next to the GM is a risky game. The carparks are often patrolled, and a parking ticket will set you back $108.
ENTERTAINMENT Wollongong is a great university town with plenty of venues to facilitate that ‘work hard, play hard’ lifestyle. There are plenty of outdoor and indoor activities to keep you busy and places to socialise. There are many places for you top explore with your cohort, so we have kept the list of potential dinner spots and watering holes quite short so that you can make exploring what Wollongong has to offer your own adventure. In the mean time the following few places are some affordable suggestions to get you started when you arrive. NIGHTLIFE, DINING AND COFFEE NORTH GONG PUB – This is close to the train station and is a nice place to grab a meal and a beer while watching the footy on TV. There are plenty of specials nights which are popular with students such as $7.50 Shnitties on a Wednesday. North Gong also hosts trivia on Thursday nights and has a huge patio for al-fresco dining, perfect for get togethers with larger groups. GRILL’D – Ground Floor of Wollongong Central Shopping Centre. Good Burgers, what more needs to be said. EAT STREET MARKETS – Thursday nights 5-9pm at Crown St Mall, it’s a foodie’s paradise of local hot and cold food stalls using fresh and locally sourced produce where possible. THE ILLAWARRA HOTEL (KILLA ILLA) – has Retro night on Thursdays. HUMBAR – Rooftop Drinks THE HARP – Karaoke Friday, Saturday and Sunday PEPE’S ON THE BEACH – Perfect for Sunday Sessions overlooking North Gong Beach. KINN THAI – Quality Thai food with a BYO licence. BULL AND BEAR – Apparently some of the best Coffee in Wollongong. For more ideas on what to do and where to eat in Wollongong check out: http://www.outinwollongong.com.au/
FACILITIES AT THE UNI URAC - The university recreation centre has a nice gym, a pool, squash courts, tennis courts, sports teams you can join, and fitness classes. Memberships for students are pretty cheap, and this is a great place to meet people if you’re new in town. For more info and prices for classes and memberships take a look here: https://uniactive.uow.edu.au/index.html Eating on Campus – There’s a good number of coffee shops, kiosks and eateries to choose from around the uni. The main food court at the UniCentre has most of these including an IGA supermarket (however like most IGA’s it can be pricey for some items). https://pulse.uow.edu.au/eatshop/food/index.html https://pulse.uow.edu.au/eatshop/iga/index.html Campus Health - If you’re looking for a GP or dentist you can book an appointment at Campus Health, which is located in the UniCentre. https://pulse.uow.edu.au/eatshop/services/services UniBar – The on campus ‘Pub’ is a good place to stop off for chips and beer after a long day of class. There are also daily meal specials which are generous for the price. Be warned the lines can be long at ‘lunch-time’ when the undergrads are around. UniBar often holds very cheap concerts and random events…https://pulse.uow.edu.au/unibar/index.html The GM (Graduate Medicine building)- If you haven’t been by yet, the GM has a common room with lockers, fridges, coffee machine, microwaves, sandwich presses and a snack supply. To make sure everyone stays happy clean up after yourselves and don’t forget the things you leave in the fridge. UniMovies - UniMovies is a nice, cheap way to watch movies. They show different movies every week. http://unimovies.uow.edu.au/ OTHER STUFF AROUND TOWN Crown Street Mall and Wollongong Central- A wide variety of shops, restaurants and places to grab coffee. Beaches - There are two main beaches to stroll down to for a swim - City Beach is just next to the lighthouse, and North Beach is up the coast a bit. There’s a seawall between the two areas that is a popular walking/jogging/cycling route. North Beach is the only area to have year- round surf patrols, and has a large park adjacent to it. There are plenty more beaches if you venture slightly further North or South and all are worthy of weekend exploration and exploitation. Beaton Park - This recreation park has multiple sports and exercise facilities including a multi- lane running track, indoor pool, and a pretty decked-out gym .
Movies – There are three cinemas within a good distance of the films or sessions at UniMovies don’t work for you. There is an Event Cinemas in town in Wollongong and another at Shellharbour as well as a Hoyts at Warrawong. Bunnings – Timber, hardware, tools and some household items. May have some handy items as you get settled into your houses. Leisure Coast Market - a little out of the way but again, the green shuttle runs right past it, this local market has some of the best produce and has great deals on meat. Definitely worth checking out whenever you can. There are two Woolworth’s and Aldi’s in town as well. Bulli Farmers markets – Sunday 9-2pm Warrawong - south of Wollongong, Warrawong has ‘Furniture Alley’ with bedding, furniture, electronics, desks, chairs, lamps, lighting, etc… anything you need to fill a house has its own shop. Take a cruise down King St. and see for yourself! Take a Hike – There are plenty of walking tracks such as Sublime Point and Mount Keira Lookout walk. There’s even a ‘Walk the Gong’ Facebook page to get you inspired. Heaps of students also take day trips up to the Royal National Park about 35 minutes north of Wollongong for some weekend exploring. Who knows you may even stumble across some not so secret swimming holes and waterfalls. Surfing – A number of students surf (varied levels of expertise). South Wollongong and East Corrimal are popular spots. The Farm at Killalea State Park is a declared national surfing reserve which is considered kind for beginners. Regardless of where you go always remember to take a surf buddy with you especially if you are a new surfer.
EVERYTHING SHOALHAVEN
The Shoalhaven Campus is located in West Nowra. Generally, in Nowra everything is close
and convenient and most of what you’ll need you’ll find within a 10km radius. If you want to
live with other med students, Nowra is the place to do it. Most Shoalies live in groups of 2-4
and there are some long running and established ‘Med Houses’ down in Nowra that seem to
be passed down from cohort to cohort. Below are some of the areas that have been popular
in the past.
HOUSING
Nowra – Plenty of decent housing close to the centre of town. Like everywhere in the Nowra
area it’s best to visit the houses (or have someone visit on your behalf) or check out google
street view to make sure you don’t end up stuck on a dodgy street. There are certain streets
in Nowra that have got well known reputations. From the centre of Nowra, it’s 5-10 minutes
to Campus and 30 minutes to the beach.
North Nowra – This is a mostly suburban area on the north side of the Shoalhaven River with
its own selection of shops and restaurants. It is one of the nicer parts to live, but does involve
crossing the bridge each day which is pretty much the single point of congestion for Nowra
traffic.
Bomaderry – Similar to North Nowra but closer to the industrial area. It is also the final stop
on the South Coast trainline to Sydney, which is handy for transport. It is about 15 minutes to
Campus in one direction and 15 minutes to the beach at Shoalhaven Heads in the other
direction. Parts of Bomaderry are quite nice and others are notoriously dodgy, make sure you
look at street view or check out the house in person as some parts of this suburb are definitely
less desirable.
East Nowra – Probably best to avoid this suburb. Well known to have many ‘issues’. The rent
may be cheap but replacing your stuff on a regular basis when its ‘borrowed without
permission and never to be seen again’ is not.Worrigee and South Nowra – Newer developing suburbs to the south of Nowra (some streets are so new that they won’t be in your cars GPS). Has affordable, modern housing. Worrigee is 10-15 minutes from campus and 25 minutes to the beach. Beware however, the northern parts of Worrigee border East Nowra so again check out the street and those surrounding it to see the kind of vibe you get. Jervis Bay, Culburra Beach, Huskisson – Gorgeous beaches with the ‘whitest sand in Australia’. These are smaller beach towns with a good variety of shops and restaurants. There are a bit further out from campus and it would be a 25 – 35 minute commute. Gerringong and Gerroa – A bit higher in the price range and a bit further away. These towns are about 40 minutes to either campus (Nowra or Wollongong). This location has great surf beaches, ocean pools, trendy cafes and shops. Being equidistant between both campuses and Bowral may be ideal for those who don’t want to move to Wollongong for Phase 2. Kiama – The biggest costal town between Wollongong and Nowra. This beautiful ‘tourist town’ is 55 minutes to the Shoalhaven campus and 35 minutes to Wollongong. It has the same pros and cons as Gerringong. Also keep an eye out on the cohort Facebook page as sometimes Lyndal or others will make posts regarding accommodation opportunities in the Shoalhaven area. Make sure you clarify what furnished includes in such places. If you need to buy any furniture when you arrive there are plenty of places such as Harvey Norman, Joyce Mayne, Fantastic Furniture and Bunnings all located in South Nowra on the Pacific Highway. If you are coming from out of town and you still haven’t managed to secure a house, there are some affordable places where you can stay short term. There are some reasonably priced motels in town as well as cabins at the many caravan parks. Be aware that Rental Applications are almost never processed site unseen but other students in the area may be able to help you out. Write a post on your cohort Facebook page with the address and time of the inspection with as much notice as possible and where they can the second and third years living in the area will help you out.
OTHER HANDY STUFF
Phone – The mobile coverage in Nowra is fairly good, but there are some definite and well
known dead spots that exist. In Nowra, Telstra has the best coverage but costs the most.
Optus is described as ‘patchy’ and Vodaphone provides zero mobile reception at the
Shoalhaven Campus and is generally considered poor in all parts of town.
Internet – Available from a variety of providers, some more expensive than others. Most of
Nowra is serviced by the NBN (still unsure as to whether this is a good thing or bad thing).
Another alternative is ‘wireless’ internet through a USB device, however this isn’t the most
affordable option (if you go down this path again Telstra has the better coverage). There is
also internet access 27/7 at the Shoalhaven Campus. The GM has computers available in the
resource room and the building is open until midnight. There is also 24 hour access upon
request to a designated study room in the Shoalhaven Campus Library (this will be explained
in further detail in your first weeks on campus).
Transportation – Nowra has very little to offer with regards to public transport. A car is
recommended, though you may get lucky and find a carpool buddy. One of Shoalhaven
Campuses best perks is free parking right out the front of the GM (beat that Wollongong!).
Parking around town is also free and most past Shoalies would say that a car is indispensable.
If you’re a keen cyclist, Nowra and it’s surrounds are generally pretty flat and easy riding. The
campus is on the Western outskirts of Nowra so walking to uni isn’t really a viable option.
The Free Shoalie Shuttle Bus – Classes are held in Wollongong for the whole cohort
(including Shoalies) one day a week (1st Monday and 2nd Friday of each fortnight). On these
days the GM provides a free bus service to get you to and from the Wollongong Uni. The bus
has various stops that it makes along the way (Campus, Bombaderry, Berry, Gerringong and
Kiama). A timetable will be posted in the resource room, along with a weekly sign up sheet
for the bus. Make sure you write your name on the bus sheet as this determines the size of
bus that the uni organises each week.
Getting out of town – Nowra is on the Princess Highway and Wollongong is about a one hour
drive North with Sydney another hour or so further along. The train service from Bombaderry
runs everyday and will take you all the way to Sydney Central and you can change trains along
the way to get to the airport. The whole trip takes about 3 hours. For timetables or to plan a
trip visit https://transportnsw.info/trip#/.
THINGS TO DO
There’s no shortage of things to do in the Shoalhaven, especially if the weather is good. The
Shoalhaven city council website http://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au and Visit Shoalhaven
website https://www.shoalhaven.com/ have lists of clubs, activities and attractions. The
Shoalhaven is a great location for Surfing, Bush Walks, Kayaking, SUP, Scuba/Snorkelling and
Rock Climbing. If you’re eager to explore check out the #100beachchallenge -
https://100beachchallenge.com/.NIGHTLIFE Bottlerocket – A café and cocktail bar. It has a dress code and a 21+ age restriction. It’s a great chilled out place. Postie’s – The Postman’s Tavern is the late night venue in Nowra. There’s a host of other pubs in town including The Bridge, North Nowra Tavern and The Australian Hotel. Just note nobody goes to The Archer on the corner of Albatross Road. EATING PLACES Nowra and the surrounds such as Berry have a swag of places to grab a feed. Check out websites such as Trip Advisor for the full list of what’s available. Below is a shortlist of some favourite places frequented by past cohorts. Riverside Thai – Great Thai on the river with BYO. Wharf Road Restaurant and Bar – Modern Australian dining. Uses local produce. Can be on the expensive side so a good option when the parents come to visit (their shout). Kohli’s Indian – Decent prices, decent food in the centre of town. Leaf – Another Thai place in the same complex as the meat and produce market on the freeway. Hopper Society – They do all day brekky and have good coffee and plenty of healthy options. Bombaderry Bowling Club - $10 dinners on Tuesdays. FITNESS AND FUN STUFF Gyms – There are a number of Gyms available in Nowra, past students have been members at the following: Anytime Fitness, Jets Nowra and The Gym North Nowra. Ben’s Walk – A nice 5km loop walking track along the escarpment. Access is via the showgrounds near the hospital. Usually best to take a friend with you. Ten Pin – Shoalhaven City Lanes Surfing – Take your pick from plenty of great surf spots that are 15 – 30 minutes from Nowra. Ask around about good spots such as Culburra, Seven Mile Beach and Werri Beach. If you’re new to the sport or new to the beach, make sure you have a surf buddy with you. Not all beaches are patrolled. SUP – Plenty of flat water SUP spots in Gerroa and Jervis Bay. Check out http://www.jervisbaystanduppaddle.com.au/ or http://www.supdownunder.com.au/.
The Roxy – The Art Deco Cinema on Berry Street. Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre – The Entertainment Centre has great live shows such as the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow and Jimmy Barnes. There’s often signs outside Coles advertising upcoming shows. Sports – No shortage of sports clubs to join in Nowra. Past students have been involved in basketball, volleyball, netball, Aussie Rules, rugby league, touch footy and dragon boating. Plenty of sports are run though the Shoalhaven Campus Social Club called SPARTA! https://www.facebook.com/groups/uowsparta/.
INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS G’day! You all have probably gathered, there is a ton of stuff to sort out before you arrive in Australia. Don’t worry, we all got through it, and so will you. Here are a few titbits of information that we picked up along the way, and maybe wish we’d had in our back pocket before getting here. STUDENT VISAS/COES Of course, you need to visit the immigrations website to get all of the specific details for the process. But here is the streamlined version: • Application: Easy. Online. You are required to have your COE (Confirmation of Enrolment) to apply. This means that you need to pay your tuition, have it processed by UOW, and have the COE sent back to you before you can send in your Visa application. You also need to get all of your health checks completed before the Visa application is complete. See below. • Timing: The COE has roughly a 1-2 week turnover time. The visa can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks. • Cost: Roughly $550 for the application alone. See below for the additional costs for the health checks. • Regarding Spouses/Partners: Unless you’re with an Aussie, they’ll be going on your visa as a dependent. There isn’t much extra paperwork to get filled out, and they’ll need a physical and a chest x-ray but not the blood tests if they’re in the low-risk group. STUDENT VISA HEALTH CHECKS • Keep a close eye on your online visa application status to see if you need to get one of these checks done. It is possible that you may sneak through the whole visa process without having to do a Health Check, it has happened. • Process: Look at the Australian immigrations website (below) for the certified doctor nearest you and make an appointment – there can be a 1- 3 week wait depending on your location and their schedule. You will need to print off the appropriate documentation to take with you (available online). Requirements: Physical, Chest X-Ray, urinalysis (dipstick), blood test. This should all be doable in one day. http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/
• Cost: This may vary between doctors but the standard fee can run anywhere from $125 - $250 (regardless of your health care plan – this isn’t covered). If you have a spouse, you’ll be paying for everything but the blood tests twice. FIRST AID Yes, there is a requirement for a First Aid course. This is cheaper to do at home than in Australia - it’ll cost $150-$200. There is a minimum number of training hours. A weekend course is generally sufficient and just needs to meet the 14 hour training requirements laid out on the UOW website. The courses are really easy, just pick a weekend and get it done! CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK There are multiple ways to get this done. Some of us filled out online forms; some of us strolled down to the main police station with a couple of pieces of ID. At any rate, it is about $20-50 and is pretty quick and easy. If you opt for the online version, expect a 1-2 week turnaround before it arrives in the mail. VACCINATIONS It is best to complete this before you arrive you start Orientation week. Last year, nearly every student (International and Domestic) got held up for at least one issue with their vaccination card. Special considerations for International students since it is a lot harder to just run back to your normal GP and have make any adjustments are as follows: • Have your GP sign AND stamp everything on your card, they may think that this is overkill and not necessary but that is actually what the nurses wanted last year (and we do mean a stamp beside every signature) • Bring any and all paperwork that you have and can get with you!!! This includes vaccination records from when you were a child (in Canada you should be able to just ring up the local health office and they can fax or mail them, check online). Ask your doctor for your serology results where applicable etc.… Bring it all. • Scan all of your documentation and e-mail it to yourself or put it on a disk or flash drive (better to be a little over prepared). • Do not skip anything and hope that you can just get it done here; it is much more difficult and expensive. WHAT DO I SEND? There are quite a few bits and pieces of paperwork that are listed as requirements. Most of these you can just bring with you - your criminal record check, vaccinations, and first aid certificate. Things you want to mail in are your official university transcripts and notarized documents (for CoE/admissions stuff). Keeping your own photocopies of all of these things is a good idea, just to be on the safe side. It is not a terrible idea to mail copies of everything to the school ahead of your arrival so that they have copies in case you somehow forget or lose yours along the way.
CANADIAN STUDENTS STUDENT LOANS/FINANCING Almost all of the Canadian banks offer a medical student line of credit (Scotiabank does not do them for international students …their loss) - the amount varies from roughly $100 000 to $275 000 depending on your co-signer. You will definitely need a co-signer because you are planning to leave the country, so make sure your parents etc are on board. With a line of credit you pay interest immediately, so taking out a large sum and depositing it in an Australian bank account may not be the most cost effective way of managing your money. ***NOTE: Do not feel compelled to accept whatever interest rate your first bank offers you, shop around and play them off of each other. You may go to one bank where they offer you prime+0.5% and then speak to another bank who will offer you prime+0.25%. Last year it was possible for some of the students to get prime+0 %( you will be paying plenty of money in interest by the time this is all over, it is very worthwhile to spend a bit haggling to get the best price. Always remember, you are doing the bank a favour by borrowing their money, and they know it.) You are also eligible for provincial and federal student loans, so be sure to check into that. MOVING MONEY TO AUSTRALIA FROM OVERSEAS There are many, many ways to accomplish this and each one will get you a different exchange rate. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list but rather a list of general suggestions and a suggested method that I prefer. Tip 1: Do your research. There are a ton of companies willing to exchange money between countries, some more reputable than others. I can’t stress enough that you should try and do as much research as possible to find out who’s going to give you the best rates. I can’t suggest something that’s going to work for everyone in every situation but I use XE Trade (more to follow on that topic). Tip 2: Follow the dollar. When you’re talking about transferring at least $190,000 AUD over the four years, a small change in the exchange rate can equate to significant gain or loss. Follow the Australian dollar, follow your dollar, and follow the exchange rate. Get a feel for the fluctuations and try and time your exchanges to when it is more favourable to you. You won’t always be able to move money at the best time simply due to timing of when tuition is due, etc. but try your best. Tip 3: If you’re going to move money, move larger chunks less often. Depending on the method you chose to transfer money, you may incur some fees (sometimes substantial if you didn’t listen to Tip 1!). Simple. Also if you can time it right, in relation to the exchange rate, those large chunks can actually make you some money! However, if the exchange rate is poor, don’t feel obligated to move lots of money. You’ll have to weigh the cost of transfer fees vs. the amount of loss you incur on the exchange.
XE TRADE
XE, a popular currency exchange site, also operates a currency-trading program. It requires
you to sign up and go through a vetting process where they check your identity, etc. but it’s
relatively simple to do. It is the method I use to move money between Australia and Canada
and, so far, they have given me the best rates. You can go to
http://www.xe.com/xetrade/suinfo.php and sign up for an account. Just follow the
instructions and you should have your account up and running in a week or so, sometimes
less. From there, you have to enter your banking information for both your Australian (you
can open an account online) and Canadian bank accounts and put in a trade request. During
the request, you’ll have to select how you want to get the money to XE and how you want
them to get the money to you. I use the bill payment option to send the money to XE (just
like paying any other Canadian bill via online banking) and a wire transfer to my Australian
account. You may need to actually be in Australia before you can do your first transfer if your
bank needs you to activate your account in person. Luckily, the trades only take about three
or so business days to process.
ARRIVAL & TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORT FROM THE AIRPORT
Limousines provide a free ride to Wollongong from Sydney airport for all incoming first-time
international students.
Go to https://www.uow.edu.au/future/international/apply/prearrival/airport/index.html
and follow the instructions. Alternatively you can take the train to Wollongong. The train
station connects directly to the airport and is so easy, even a caveman could do it. Where to
stay?
The best deal in town for the first two weeks is the local YHA, Keiraview Accommodation. It
is located right in town (near all the pubs/restaurants that you’ve read about in this guide)
and offers a special discount for incoming international students. It’s an easy starting point
for looking for apartments and getting to know the city. Once you’ve planned your arrival
times, make sure you book in. http://www.keiraviewaccommodation.com.au/
SHOALHAVEN
For the students heading to the Shoalhaven the free bus is not available. You can catch the
free shuttle to Wollongong, but will be out of luck if trying to get directly to Nowra. There are
a couple of options available:
For those with a reasonable amount of luggage you can catch the train from the
International Airport. Cost is about $20 and the 3-4 hour train ride (depending on how your
transfers work out) is quite spectacular. Keep in mind that you will have to transfer at least 2
trains on the way down. Also, you will arrive in Bomaderry which is an easy cab ride to
Nowra; just remember that you will likely need to give the cab driver some direction as to
where you want to be dropped off. Check out accommodation to stay when you arrive.
www.cityrail.infoShoalhaven shuttle is a shuttle service that can pick you up at the airport and take you
directly to your destination in the Shoalhaven. Cost is $50-100pp depending on the amount
of luggage you are bringing. They typically run 1- 2x/day, so drop them an email early to
determine if they are a viable option. www.shoalhavenshuttle.com
Finally, for those with a sense of adventure, a rental car may be a good option for your first
few days. The area around Nowra is pretty vast which can be a pain if you are trying to sort
out living arrangements upon arrival. Hertz is the rental company in the area that you can
pick up a car in Sydney and drop off in South Nowra for a reasonable price. Check them out
online to get an idea of prices. Also, make sure you opt in for the insurance. Driving on the
opposite side of the road takes some getting used to.
BANKING
Setting up a bank account in Australia is quite straightforward; you can actually do it from
abroad and transfer money over before you get here. All you need to do once you arrive in
Wollongong is take your passport to the branch, sign some papers, and you’re ready to go.
NAB and Commonwealth are both readily accessible around Wollongong and Shoalhaven,
and NAB has a branch right on campus.
CELL PHONES (“MOBILES”)
Most cell phones in Australia are pay-as-you-go plans, and contracts are difficult to get
without a credit history here. All you need to do is buy the cell phone, buy a $30, $40, or $50
card (depending on how much you talk) and you’re ready to go! The only tricky part is picking
your network, because it’s cheaper to call phones on the same network as your own. Locals
recommend Telstra because it has the best coverage around Wollongong and the uni, but it
can be slightly more expensive. Other options are Optus (which has reasonably good
coverage), Vodafone (don’t do it!) and TPG. Aldi is a new one and great if you have your own
phone already. If you are a new Shoalie, stick to Telstra as your safest option.
ACCOMMODATION
The most terrifying thing of all! Students flood the housing market in January and February,
so ideally you’ll want to get here in early January for house hunting. This is recommended, as
it is required that you physically inspect a property to be considered for tenancy.
Alternatively, some internationals last year got here just before uni started, having found a
housemate on the Med Facebook page and trusted them to find a place. The majority of
apartments are rented out via real estate agencies on 6 month or 1 year leases, and there are
fully furnished places available. To be considered for rental, significant documentation may
be required including scanned passport, bank statements (can show your loan), written
letter/reference from previous landlord.
Some quick tips to help with house-hunting:
• There is a possibility that the Wollongong Free Shuttle maybe discontinued starting
early 2018. This may influence the location of your preferred housing location.
Suburbs closer to the uni include Gwynneville, North Wollongong, Kieraville, and Mt
Ousley. Unless you have access to a car, suburbs like Figtree and Fairy Meadow may
not be suitable. Make sure to research the location of suburbs in relation to the
University and your shopping/groceries options.• Offering $5-$10 more per week on the advertised rent rate may improve your chances
of getting that house. If you are in crunch time, or you really like a place, do not
hesitate to improve your pitch!
• Many rental agencies take vacation during the first week of January. If you are having
difficulty finding a place right away, keep asking around on your cohort facebook page,
or ask students from other cohorts. You may also consider the university’s temporary
accommodation at Kieraview, especially if you are being accompanied by family
members, as it is cheaper than hotels. Refer to the Arrival & Transportation section
above.
LIVING EXPENSES
Cost of living is roughly $1000-$1500 per month in Wollongong, depending on how frugal you
are. Roommates are a good idea as 1br apartments are hard to find. Housing runs from about
$250-350/week for a 2br apartment, on the higher end if it’s furnished.
Alcohol and food are definitely expensive in Australia. The main grocery stores are
Woolworths, Aldi and Coles, and there are a few fruit and veggie markets around. If you are
eating out at restaurants, remember that all prices are listed including tax, and this is a non-
tipping culture so your tips are also already incorporated into the prices (although as usual,
if your service is exceptional then feel free to leave a tip!).
As an idea:
Pint of beer - $5-7
6pk beer - $20
750mL bottle of Spirits ~ $35+
Dinner - $15-25
Petrol – $1.30 – $1.40 / L
INSURANCE:
Health (AHM), Travel, Life and Car
Every international student is required to buy overseas health cover as a part of their student
agreement. This allows you to get a rebate (roughly 75%) for doctor’s visits and medications
you purchase. Unfortunately, you are still required to pay the full fee up-front for any services,
and you need to take in your receipts afterwards. A standard doctor’s visit is about $50.
Your overseas health cover only kicks in on the first scheduled day of classes. This means that
you’ll potentially have the entire month of January in Australia to get yourself
injured/attacked by a shark/mauled by a drop bear. Buy travel insurance before you go, your
travel agent can set it up for you easily. Life insurance is also a good idea for those of you who
have had your parents/friends/other family members co-sign your loans. We don’t like to
worry about things like that, but if anything happens to you, that’s a pretty hefty amount of
money that still needs to be paid back.You can also read
